The multifunctional apparatus and method related to the art of mineral fiber manufacturing from the heat softenable rock minerals such as basalts and is capable of forming fibers to be drawn/attenuated into continuous fiber strand. More specifically, the invention discloses the apparatus designed to manufacture continuous amorphous mineral (basalt) fibers from 7 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm in diameter with flexible/ductile properties suitable for a variety of industrial applications. Wherein basalt fiber strand made of elemental fibers from 7 xcexcm to 20 xcexcm in diameter is suitable to produce corrosion resistant, high-tensile strength cables/rebars and variety of fiber reinforced composites. The coarse basalt fibers from 20 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm in addition suitable for Three-Dimension Fiber Reinforced Composites/Concrete (3-D RFC) and many other long-term outdoor including naval industrial applications. Basalt fibers are able to maintain their properties from the cryogenic to +700C. temperatures and exhibit high corrosion resistance in acid, salt water and alkaline cement based media""s. Basalt fibers are suitable also for a variety of thermal/sound insulation products which are stable at temperatures to 700C.
The continuous glass (basalt) fiber production based on previous designs of apparatus art are subjected to failures caused by the regular catastrophic breaking of fiber filaments after the stream of glass issued from the orifices is attenuated mechanically into continuous fibers of small diameter and then grouped into a strand. Many failures occur between the bushing and the applicator: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,957,525; 4,886,535; 4,853,017. The past efforts to reduce breakage have emphasized the feed stock as the cause and the source of the cure.
A large number of variables are present in the art of a fiber forming process which tend to create a condition that encourages filament breakage in the fiber forming zone, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,470; 4,853,017; 4,676,813; 4,664,688; 4,488,891; 4,675,039; 4,469,499. Among other negative factor on fibers (filaments) formation is the presence of unacceptable heterogeneous glass body components containing highly stable aggregates of atoms referred to as xe2x80x9cclustersxe2x80x9d. The clusters appear as forerunners of nucleus of crystalline phases that cause a great percentage of the failures of continuous fiber made of natural rock basalt minerals. This factor appears to be permanent when the natural rock minerals (basalts) are used as initial raw material to manufacture mineral (basalt) fibers.
Numerous fiber manufacturing apparatus and methods have been disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,044,666; 5,954,852; 5,876,529; 5,800,676; 5,614,132; 5,601,628; 5,490,961; 5,458,822; 5,352,260; 5,312,470; 5,147,431; 5,134,179; 5,057,173; 4,964,891; 4,957,525; 4,950,355; 4,917750; 4,886,535; 4,853,017; 4,676,813; 4,664,688; 4,636,234; 4,534,177; 4,488,891 4,469,499; 4,437,869; 4,401,451; 4,398,933; 4,328,015; 4,199,336; 4,088,467; 4,009,015; 3,929,497; 3,854,986; 3,557,575; 3,475,147; 3,264,076; 3,048,640; 3,013,096.
The apparatus and methods which are disclosed in the above mentioned patents do not designed to manufacture a high-quality amorphous continuous mineral (basalt) fibers. In fact, these apparatus (methods) are not capable of preparing a homogeneous glass body from natural basalt rock minerals with acceptable properties. In particular, all disclosed apparatus, methods and bushings currently being in operation exhibit a drawback from the point of view of volatile elements degasing, glass body mixing and turbulence from flow. These items are important when preparing homogeneous glass body from natural rock minerals suitable to manufacture mineral (basalt) fibers in amorphous structure state. The above mentioned apparatus/methods that have been disclosed in the U.S. Patents are designed to manufacture continuous glass fibers made from silicate based materials with predetermined chemical composition or organic fiber from uniform composition rather than fibersxe2x80x94continuous fibers (roving) made from natural rock basalts. If fact, the basalt fiber roving production industry has not been developed in the USA. The apparatus/methods and bushings that are designed to manufacture mineral (basalt) fibers have been disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,044,666; 5,954,852; 5,954,852; 5,458,882; 5,312,470;5,123,949; 4,149,866; 4,636,234; 4,853,017; 4,822,392; 4,775,400; 4,560,606; 4,488,891; 4,343,637 and exhibit the same problems: poor volatile elements degasing, low-efficient glass body mixing and turbulence from flow. All these factors provide a negative impact on basalt fiber roving processing, therefore they have to be reduced (or even eliminated). Other wise it will be problem to prepare a homogeneous glass body from natural rock minerals. Homogeneous in terms of uniform chemical composition and viscosity which are suitable to produce high-quality continuous basalt fibers with appropriate amorphous structure.
The homogeneous glass body preparation in the glass and organic fiber industries utilizing silicate or organic based materials with predetermined chemical composition is more efficient when compared to that of basalt fiber processing, especially if glass fiber production utilizes boron oxide additives. The predetermined chemical composition of glass fiber production provides a great influence on apparatus or bushing design which are different from those designed to produce basalt fibers. The glass fiber processing is easier to run than basalt fiber manufacturing because of the difference in technology of glass body preparation. The glass body made from material with predetermined composition is need more simple operations to make it homogeneous. Furthermore some operations such as volatile elements degasing, glass body turbulent flowing or a high melting point complex oxides destruction are important for glass fiber processing with pre-determined chemical composition but not so much as for glass body made from natural rock materials.
Nevertheless the continuous basalt fibers processing utilizing natural rock basalts is still low cost (it could be even lower than E-glass fiber manufacturing) because basalt fiber processing utilizes the natural rock mineralsxe2x80x94just ground rock from a quarry. For example from many quarries in the Northern Wisconsin/Minnesota. In particular from Dresser Trap Rock (Twin City) quarry. The variety of supplemental rock minerals are available for these basalts.
In addition basalt fibers exhibit attractive insulating properties which are superior to that of glass fibers. The cost effective E-glass fiber being currently on the market is lower in quality when compared to that of basalt fibers not only as insulating but also as reinforcement component for variety of composites because glass fiber contains a boron oxide (chemically active, high pollution) component which is from 8% to 12% in mass. The high diffusion mobility of boron atoms promote E-glass fiber deterioration, especially when exposed to attack by salt water or cement based alkaline media. E-glass (especially organic) fibers also tend to deteriorate when subjected to the action of the outdoor freeze-thaw and/or ultraviolet exposure. Therefore a cost effective E-glass fiber is not yet in use (on the USA market) for reinforced concrete applications. Basalt fibers, as opposed to glass fibers, do not contain even traces of boron oxide (B2O) and exhibit a Mechanical Performance/Price Ratio greater than that of any other glass fibers currently on the market.
Both Russian and Ukrainian apparatus (see 5040472/33 (1994); 92310003 (92); 4766933/00-33 (2)2 (89); 4823441/00-33 (22) (90); 4861059/00-33 (22) (90); 4793760/00-33 (22) (90) including USSR patents (990697; 937358; 881009; 874673; 589215) are referred to as similar to the present invention, because these apparatus/methods are designed to manufacture continuous fibers (roving) from the natural basalt rock materials. However the current both Russian and the Ukrainian versions of apparatus have been designed for basalt fiber industrial production exhibit some disadvantages. They are almost law efficient. The low-efficiency of glass body preparation of these apparatus come from the old stile apparatus of glass fiber production. Many features come without essential change of the key members of apparatus. The major problem of all glass fiber apparatus is a low-efficiency of high melting point complex oxides destruction. All stable high-melting point complex oxides of metals are containing in the natural rock minerals have to be decomposed and the volatile elements completely removed from a glass body. An efficient basalt glass body mixing is also needed to be accomplished.
Furthermore all previous apparatus/methods and bushings art designed to manufacture mineral (basalt) fiber exhibit lack of glass body convection at the bottom of apparatus due to a great gradient of basalt glass body viscosity at the depths. The low-infrared wave radiation transparent properties of basalt glass body causes a high gradient viscosity at depths especially when a gas burning heating system is used and positioned at the top of the apparatusxe2x80x94above the glass body, e.g., on the ceiling of a furnace (Russian, Ukrainian versions of apparatus). The convection and homogenization processes of basalt glass body are suppressed when the depth of bath is more than 100 mm (h greater than 100 mm) due to the drawback of hydrodynamic characteristics. The poor hydrodynamic characteristics are typical for bath type apparatus, including straight stream glass body to flow with multi-zones horizontally extended valley of apparatus (Russian/Ukrainian versions of apparatus). The temperature of melted basalt glass body in apparatus has been disclosed in the USSR Patent No. 874673, CO3 B, 5/00.1981 and Russian Patents: RU 2017691 C1, 30.04/92) dramatically drops down at the depths with a rate of 20-25 degrees per centimeter due to a low infrared wave heat transparent property of the melted basalt glass body. The low heat transparent property causes the crystallization of basalt glass body at the bottom if an additional heating is not provided. The breakage and reduction of mechanical properties of basalt fibers (lowering in strength and flexible properties) becomes substantial for basalt fiber made of glass body with poor mixing and homogenization properties.
The traces of crystalline phases cause the brittle properties in basalt fibers especially at a the diameter greater 20 xcexcm. Eventually coarse basalt fiber manufactured using current apparatus will at diameter greater than 30 xcexcm become substantially brittle and the mechanical properties of fibers dramatically reduced, that limits their applications. In fact, the Ukrainian/Russian versions of apparatus/methods referred above do not allow the manufacturing continuous amorphous basalt fibers with flexible/properties at the diameters greater than 14 xcexcm.
The brittle properties of coarse fibers significantly limit industrial applications of basalt fiber especially for long-term Three-Dimension Fiber Reinforced Concrete (3-D FRC). The natural basalt rocks present the heterogeneous eutectic type system containing variety of complex oxides including oxides with high melting point components. Some of components that make up the natural basalt minerals exhibit congruent melting point. The congruent melting of these oxides (in accordance to phase diagram) causes an appearance of phases with melting point even greater than that of the initial components of the basalt rock mineral.
Many previous efforts related to the fiber breakage problem solving (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,957,525; 4,886,535; 4,853,017) were focused on an external environment action: bad sizing, rough aprons, unacceptable fan tension, cooling system, humidity, operator and other factors rather than the fundamentals of fiber structure formation. In addition natural rock minerals (basalts) in a melted state contain high-gravity iron rich components which tend to accumulate at the bottom of the apparatus. The accumulation iron rich contaminants causes damage to the orificed bushing made from precious platinum metal (or platinum based alloy) because iron and platinum (Pt) are chemically reacting metals. The accumulation of iron-rich oxides are especially high when the cathode-anode electrodes are applied as a heating system. Therefore the cathode-anode heating system cannot be applied to manufacture basalt fiber utilizing orificed bushing made of Pt, Ptxe2x80x94Rd based metals.
It is known that melted basalts exhibit properties essentially different than that of melted E-glass body. Basalt minerals are electrically conductive in the melted state due to presence of iron rich oxides from 8% to 15% by mass.
In summation the current apparatus and methods that have been previously developed at need dramatic improvement in terms of efficiency (energy consumption) and continuous basalt fiber failure (breakage) reduction.
All apparatus and methods that have been disclosed in the U.S. and foreign (USSR, Russian and Ukrainian) Patents as related to continuous mineral glass/basalt fibers production need dramatic improvements based on alternatives to the current design approaches. It is understood, however, that alternative approaches can be developed only if based on the fundamentals of amorphous basalt fiber formation and a practice of continuous fibers production.
The most recent apparatus and methods for forming fibers are presented in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,044,666; 5,954,852; 5,895,715. For example the U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,666 discloses a fiber forming apparatus for a variety melt materials utilizing insulating flow through the different configuration of bores and the bushing blocksxe2x80x94block assembly. A bushing block with one or more bores extending through a peripheral region thereof to divert a portion of a supply of molten fiberizable material from a central region of the bushing block to the peripheral region of the bushing block. This apparatus and method for forming fibers, however, exhibits poor volatile elements outlet during glass body distribution from the center to the peripheral bores of the bushing block. Therefore glass body turbulence inside of the bushing block bores is similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,470. The plurality of bores (passage ways for glass body) extending through the bushing blocks are designed to produce generally continuous filaments from natural organic (non-glass substances) than from the rock minerals, in particular, natural basalt rock minerals. The system of blocks of bushing bores made of refractory materials are not designed for glass body mixing and turbulent to flow and therefore cannot be used to provide basalt glass body homogenization process.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,852 discloses a method of making fiber using a cascade of rotating rotors from the melts at a viscosity of less than 18 poise at 1400C. The glass body is poured onto the top rotor at a viscosity less than 10 poise, wherein the other rotors are positioned lower. This method is not designed to make continuous basalt fibers (even a mixture of basalt and diabase melt is mentioned in this patent). The U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,715 discloses a method (blasting process) of making shaped fibers from a variety of fiberizable melt materials including such as rock slag or basalt. But blasting process cannot be used to produce continuous basalt fiber roving.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,628 discloses method for production of mineral wool, particularly made of basalt melt which is fiberized by internal centrifuging in a spinner having a peripheral wall with a plurality of orifices. To produce mineral wool with good fiber fineness and largely free of unfiberized particles, the length of the filament cones and the configuration of the heated gas flows generated around the spinner are adjusted so that the majority of the filament cones emanating from the spinner orifices intersects the isoterm corresponding to viscosity of 100 poises. This enables the tips of the filament cones to reach into a cool zone, thereby increasing the viscosity at the tip of the filament cones to avoid breakage of the filament cones to be attenuated. The basaltic materials, either natural or modified basalts are available for production of rock wool. However this method is not available to produce continuous basalt fibers.
The ultra-high velocity water cooled cooper spinner method is applied to manufacture a non-continuous size mineral fibers (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,468,931; 4,534,177) and a spinning formation fiber rotary methods (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,724,668; 5,679,126; 4,917,725; 4,058,386) do not promote the production of continuous fiber with available properties. This method is not prevents the appearance of crystalline phase even at high speed rotations of spinner. The intrusion of high particulate fluxes into the fiber forming zone causes the reduction of high quality fiber production.
The industry of manufacturing glass fibers (including basalt fibers) has for many years used bushings (feeders) made of precious metals/alloys, such as platinum or platinum and rhodium based alloys. Precious metal bushings, however, tend to creep or deform in service. The creep or deformation adversely effects fiber quality. The deformation or xe2x80x9csagxe2x80x9d requires the bushing to be prematurely removed from service. If corrosive affects don""t take their toll on the bushing, xe2x80x9csagxe2x80x9d does. In addition, platinum based alloys react with iron rich oxides.
The metallic bushings that have been disclosed at U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,044,66; 5,312,470; 5,147,431; 4,957,525; 4,853,017; 4,676,813; 4,664,688; 4,488,891; 4,469,499 typically include a bottom plate or wall, commonly referred to in art as a tip plate, which retains a pool of molten glass associated with the furnace. The Russian and Ukrainian versions of apparatus designed to manufacture basalt fiber locate the bushings separate (outside) from the main chamber of oven, more specifically located underneath the feeders. The hydrostatic pressure of glass body in the feeders promotes molten glass to issue from the orifices of the bushing. However hydrostatic pressure tends to cause creep or xe2x80x9csagxe2x80x9d to develops in the bushing at a temperature operation from 1300C. to 1350C.
The French Pat. No. 1,116,519 discloses a bushing and a feeding source of molten glass combined with rotor equipped with a slop valve. The diameter of the filaments is modified by varying the speed of the rotor and its vertical position. The bushing base is generally xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d-shaped and has a series of parallel xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d-shaped elements, at the summit of each a row of orifices provided. This particular design and placing of the glass under pressure is proposed for the purpose of preventing flooding. Small cooling fins are present on both sides of the summits of the V-shaped elements. However, it should be noted that the practical embodiment of this apparatus and its implementation on an industrial scale presents numerous difficulties, especially because of the need to utilize a rotor in the bath of molten glass in order to regulate the glass flow in an effort to inhibit the flooding.
The U.S. Patent discloses the method and apparatus for forming glass fiber. This invention provides the xe2x80x9cdriplessxe2x80x9d type of feeders. This is accomplished by establishing a shallow layer of molten glass over an orificed discharge wall to provide the streams of molten glass for attenuation into filaments. The layer being maintained at a first level or depth to establish xe2x80x9cnon-driplessxe2x80x9d operation during production and briefly increasing the flow of molten glass the layer to increase the layer to a second level or depth to establish xe2x80x9cnon-driplessxe2x80x9d operation to facilitate the restart of filament formation as desired. This method and apparatus design do not relate to the many problems of basalt glass body preparation because is designed to manufacture inorganic fibers from materials with pre-determined chemical composition.
Numerous efforts have been done in the past related to the improvement of orificed bushings. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,470 discloses apparatus-feeder or bushing for producing glass fiber where the heat transfer members or fin shields have outwardly disposed surfaces with a ceramic coating bonded to those surfaces. The heat transfer surfaces also are in direct contact with and adjacent to the discharge wall of the feeder where they act as support members to support the orificed discharge wall. This combination especially useful in designing feeders or bushings having a greater number of orifices.
However, the apparatus-bushing designed in this patent has very limited temperature of homogenization which in fact cannot be increased due to metallic discharge wall, which is a bottom of apparatus. These apparatus or bushing designs cannot be used to manufacture mineral (basalt) fibers from natural rock minerals which commonly contain a high melting point complex oxides of metals impurities.
The apparatus for forming glass fiber has been disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,470 presents an apparatus having feeder combined with discharge wall of a bushing, e.g., the bottom of a feeder is a discharge wall of a bushing containing plurality of orifices-tips. A such design of apparatus-feeder or bushing cannot be used to manufacture mineral basalt fibers from natural rock minerals because it cannot sufficiently homogenize glass body made from natural rock basalts.
In addition discharge wall of feeder or bushing is made of precious metal (Platinum-Rhodium) based alloys that limits possibility to provide glass body homogenization at temperatures greater 1400C., e.g. at temperature which needs to prepare high-quality basalt glass body even though refractory ceramic coating of orificed discharge wall of bushing is used in apparatus for forming glass fibers in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,470. The composite bushing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,525 to reduce precious metal materials in a bushing, however the bushing has been disclosed in this U.S. Patent is made of precious Ptxe2x80x94Rd metals.
The development of bushings by design is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,431 however utilizing precious Ptxe2x80x94Rd metals. The additional wall positioned above the orificed discharge wall is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,813 however it made of precious Pt metal. Great efforts to improve bushings characteristics have been done in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,488,891; 4,437,869; 4,363,645 however utilizing precious metals. Some patents, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,417, disclose coatings and junctions utilizing ceramic materials (such as yttrium stabilized zircon) which exhibit an excellent thermal-shock resistance, but precious Pt metal is applied for the bushing. The list of such efforts can be easily extended. However in fact, no bushings utilizing ceramic materials have been designed yet and disclosed in the patents.
The present invention is related to a multifunctional apparatus and method, have been designed to manufacture mineral fibers made from natural basalt rock minerals having a variety of chemical compositions and petrology characteristics which are capable of forming fibers that can be drawn/attenuated into a continuous strand of containing elemental fibers from 7 xcexcm to 20 xcexcm in diameter with tensile strengths in excess of 350 ksi and a modulus of elasticity of 20 msi. The coarse amorphous basalt fibers with flexible/ductile properties can be produced from 20 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm which are suitable for long-term 3D-FRC applications.
The multifunctional apparatus and method is an efficient consisting many advantages when compared to the current apparatus and methods designed to produce continuous mineral glass including basalt fibers from the natural rock minerals.
The primary object of the invention is to provide multifuinctional apparatus is made in different modifications which are comprise the key members as follows:
a. Two fore-chamber (or retort) members have designed the ground basalt rocks (with or without supplemental minerals) melting, members associated with sloped multi-zone valley are positioned above the collector-glass body receiver.
b. Wherein each said retort comprising two different cone shape shield members: the bigger one is housing metallic shield cone and a smaller onexe2x80x94a ceramic cone (further referred as a tipped melting chamber). Wherein the diameter of the bigger housing metallic cone shield is adapted to the smaller ceramic cone-tipped melting chamber in such a way that a ceramic""s cone size can be easily installed inside of a housing metallic cone shield, removed and replaced. Wherein a smaller ceramic tipped chamber is an extension of the metallic housing cone shield.
c. The combination of natural gas containing oxygen burning and an electric heating system members are used to melt rock minerals in a retort or in fore-chamber.
d. The fore-chamber or retort comprises a sloped valley (with adjustable angle) member having plurality zones with different depths which designed the melted mineral volatile elements to degas and glass body efficient mixing when subjected to the turbulent flowing.
e. In special embodiments (when a-high-viscosity and heterogeneous rock minerals are used) a vertical furnace of apparatus is designed comprising a stack of horizontal valley members installed inside of a furnace one beneath the other. Wherein stack of horizontal valleys is located above the collector. Wherein stack of horizontal valleys causes the glass body to cascade while flowing toward the collector. This cause the volatile elements degassing and a glass body efficient mixing;
f. The collector-glass body receiver member of the apparatus is capable of glass body homogenization and averaging of the chemical composition and viscosity;
g. A feeder, containing two sleeves members is designed to provide glass body distribution to the periphery bushings which are located beneath of each sleeve.
h. Wherein each sleeve of a feeder is connected to the collector through the step with suitable height to avoid the high-specific gravity components of glass body entrance from the collector to the bushings.
i. Wherein one central bushing is located beneath of the collector.
j. Wherein in special embodiments (when a low-viscosity basalt""s are used) a horizontal type furnace of apparatus (instead vertical) is designed comprising: a fore-chamber member designed to melt the rock minerals; a sloped valley comprising zones with different depths to provide melted basalt rocks turbulent flowing that promotes the volatile elements degasing and the glass body efficient mixing; a single horizontal valley member comprises a plurality of zones with different depths capable to provide sequence operations of glass body preparation including degasing, mixture, averaging of chemical composition and viscosity, homogenization and a homogeneous glass body outlet to the feeder through the vertical tubes to the two-chamber multi-sectional ceramic bushing members.
Another object of the invention is a two-chamber malti-sectional ceramic bushing member of apparatus comprising:
a. An upper chamber which subjects the basalt glass body to additional overheating treatment to decompose the stable having a high melting point complex oxides of natural rock minerals. Wherein beneath the upper chamber is located a lower chamber which is the fiber forming member. Wherein the upper-chamber of the bushing is made of electromagnetic wave transparent, high-wear and thermal-shock resistant refractory (1950C.-2100C.) ceramic materials. In particularly (but not limited to) Y2O3 stabilized Zirconia, AD-99.9%Al2O3, Cerox-1000. Wherein the upper chamber is designed glass body overheating/heat-treatment.
b. Wherein said upper chamber comprises an external induction and internal cathode-anode electrodes heating system members. Wherein the external induction or cathode-anode heating systems are used to provide glass body overheating operation to the temperature from 100 to 250 degrees C. greater than that of an average temperature inside of the collector. Wherein, as opposed to the current metallic bushings, the overheating operation is provided due to an electromagnetic wave transparent property of walls of the upper chamber of a ceramic bushing and also due to the electric conductive properties of basalt glass body.
c. Wherein for some compositions of basalt glass body a shield member made from refractory electric conductive, inert material (for example graphite) is attached to the vertical internal wall of upper chamber to increase the efficiency of the induction heating of basalt glass body. Wherein the external ultrasonic devices with determined wave frequency and amplitude positioned at the top of a bushing can be applied (but not obligatory) as addition operation to accelerate the destruction of the most stable complex oxides of minerals.
d. The lower chamber of a bushing member is designed to provide glass body viscosity adjustment to make it suitable for a stable fiber formation. Wherein the bottom of the lower chamber of a bushing comprising discharge wall comprising an electric conductive metal-ceramic composite material. Wherein a discharge wall is designed as a multi-sectional platform reinforced by ceramic trusses, wherein between the trusses are positioned ceramic plates with plurality of orifices.
e. The water cooled fin shield conduit member is associated with discharge wall comprising a vertical wall made of porous TiNi material, wherein porous are sized to maintain a suitable environment (moisture) in the zone of continuous fiber formation.
It is understood that the height and design of the vertical apparatus are depending on the natural rock composition and a glass body characteristics. Wherein some key members of apparatus can be modified or even replaced by other member, for example fore-chamber, sloped valley and stack of horizontal valley can be combined in one body block depending on the rock mineral composition and glass body properties. In particular horizontal type furnace of apparatus does not use the stack of horizontal valleys. Only one horizontally extended multi-zone valley is used instead of a stack of horizontal valleys. Wherein the length and quantity of zones of horizontal valley, the glass body passage way, are depending on the composition of basalts. For example, for highly homogeneous olivine-andesite Northern Wisconsin/Minnesota Basalts the length of horizontal valley (and the lengths of zones) can be significantly reduced. From the other hand heterogeneous gabbro NW/M basalts require the vertical type of apparatus comprising a stack of horizontal valleys. The current Russian/Ukrainian versions of apparatus designed to manufacture basalt fiber roving from a variety of petrology characteristic basalts utilizing the natural gas or liquid oil creaking products having many meters long multi-zone horizontal valley of oven.
It is understood that apparatus designed to manufacture continuous mineral (basalt) fibers from the natural rock minerals essentially differ from the apparatus designed to manufacture glass or organic fibers utilizing pre-determined chemical composition materials.
Furthermore the current apparatus designed to manufacture continuous basalt fiber (roving) utilize metallic (usually Pt, or Pt-based alloys) bushing containing limited orifices when compared to the bushings designed for glass fiber industry. It is known that the term operation of Pt bushing in basalt fiber industry is less than that in E-glass industry. The main reason is because many basalt minerals are containing the iron reach oxides which tend to react with Pt and Pt-based alloys of bushing. Therefore the development of non-metallic ceramic orificed bushings for basalt fiber industry is acute needed to provide improvement of basalt fiber roving manufacturing entirely.
The heights of upper- and a lower chamber ratio of ceramic bushing is varied depending on number of factors: basalt rock composition, glass body properties, the diameter and the quantity of elemental fibers to be drawn/attenuated.
The upper chamber of ceramic bushing is usually greater in the height than that of a lower chamber. In fact, the less the height of the lower chamber the less the hydrostatic pressure which acts on a discharge wall. The less the hydrostatic pressure the more the orificed ceramic plates can be installed into a multi-sectional discharge wall and the greater density of orifices can be made on the each of the ceramic plate. The hydrostatic pressure inside the lower chamber is associated with upper chamber through plurality of holes/openings with determined diameter which promotes to a stable fiber formation during the drowning/attenuation beneath the discharge wall.
Still another object of the invention provides a horizontal (instead vertical) modification of apparatus designed for a low-viscosity basalt minerals. The main difference of horizontal apparatus from the vertical is that the horizontal furnace of apparatus is designed to provide continuous straight stream glass body to flow though valley consisting zones with different depths which are extended through a horizontal furnace. Wherein a horizontal modification of apparatus comprising members:
a. The fore-chamber (or retort) member to provide said efficient natural rock minerals melting;
b. Sloped valley (associated with fore-chamber or retort) member comprising said plurality zones with different depths to provide melted mineral turbulent flowing;
c. One horizontal multi-zone valley, the straight stream glass body passage way is designed multi-stage basalt glass body preparation;
d. Two-chamber bushings are almost the same bushings applied for said vertical furnace of apparatus. Wherein a two-chamber bushing is used to provide glass body overheating inside of upper chamber to decompose the stable oxides, wherein the lower chamber of a bushing is designed a glass body viscosity adjustment.
Still further object of the present invention is a method of basalt fiber with flexible/ductile properties production having amorphous structure state (being from 7 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm in diameter). This method is based on the sequence stages of glass body preparation, e.g., the key members of apparatus operations comprising the steps of:
a. The melting of ground natural basalt rocks inside of the fore-chamber or retort members. Wherein two fore-chambers or retorts are located opposite each of other at the top of the apparatus.
b. The melted basalt glass body is subjected to turbulence during flow from the fore-chambers (retorts) downward to the collector through a sloped valley (with adjustable angle) comprising plurality zones with different depths which are able to degas volatile elements and glass body efficient mixing.
c. In specific embodiments (when a high-viscosity rock minerals are feed stock) the melted glass body flows from the fore-chamber into a stack of horizontal valleys installed inside of a vertical type furnace of apparatus. Wherein horizontal valleys are positioned each beneath the another and above the collector. These horizontal valleys are designed to provide glass body cascade while flowing downward the collector. The glass body cascading flow promotes the volatile elements degasing and glass body mixing that is more efficient than that of a sloped valley does.
d. The collector-glass body receiver is designed to provide glass body homogenization and the averaging of the chemical composition and viscosity.
e. After the homogeneous glass body is delivered from the collector to the orificed bushings through the distributor (feeder) which is comprised two sleeves. Wherein the central bushing is positioned beneath of collector. The other (four or six) periphery bushings are located beneath the two sleeves. Each sleeve is connected to the collector through steps. The height of step between collector and each sleeve is designed to prevent the entrance of high-specific gravity components to the periphery bushings. Wherein at the bottom of collector is located a valve which drains off the high gravity components from the bottom of collector.
f. Inside the upper chamber of a two-chamber bushing the additional overheating treatment of basalt glass body is provided, utilizing either induction or anode-cathode heating members to decompose the most stable complex oxides. Wherein an external ultrasonic action (with determined wave frequency and amplitude) can be used to decompose the most stable complex oxides of glass body.
g. The lower chamber of a bushing is designed to provide glass body viscosity adjustment by means of a gradual cool down from the top to the bottom of the lower chamber. Wherein the bottom of the lower chamber comprises an electric heating associated with beneath of a discharge wall which controls the temperature and fiber formation beneath the discharge wall.
h. Wherein the moisture environment underneath of discharge wall is controlled utilizing a water cooled fin shields conduit comprising a walls made of porous TiNi materials. Wherein TiNi is a water vapor permeable porous material allowing the manufacture of amorphous fibers to be drawn/attenuated at a suitable moisture environment.
It is needed to emphasize that the present method of invention, as opposed apparatus, methods and bushings are disclosed at previous Art (see Background of the Invention) is designed to manufacture continuous basalt fiber with flexible/ductile properties from a variety of basalt rock minerals. In particular (but not limited to) from the Northern Wisconsin/Minnesota including Dresser Trap Rock basalts which are found in great deposition around Lake Superior. Also these deposits (gabbro basalts) significantly extend to the South, to Kansas and to the East to include a Michigan State area. Many deposits are available as the supplemental rocks to the Northern Wisconsin/Minnesota (NW/M) basalts.
In particular NW/M and the Dresser Trap Rock-DTR (olivine, andesite, pyroxene, high-moduli acidic and Al-rich) basalts are available to produce continuous basalt fiber with flexible/ductile properties from 9 xcexcm to 80 xcexcm in diameter.
Yet an additional aspect of the invention emphasizes the advantage of basalt fibers from 7 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm in diameter with flexible/ductile properties are environmentally friendly because being made of natural basalt rocks they do not contain any traces of chemically active boron oxide which is a known hazardous component found in commercial fibers. Therefore basalt fibers are suitable for a variety of industrial applications. Wherein the industrial applications are vary depending on the diameter of continuous basalt fibers including (but not limited to):
(a)xe2x80x94basalt fiber strand, yam and chopped roving from 7 xcexcm to 20 xcexcm in diameter are suitable to produce: electric cable cords; high-temperature mineral-based matrix boards; high temperature insulators; fire resistant fabrics/textiles; inert (salt water resistant) underground drainage and pollution control filters; fiber reinforced plastics; integrated circuit boards; reinforced organic and non-organic based matrix composite/concrete; corrosion resistant high tensile strength cables/rebars (replacement of steel bar) for reinforced concrete/ composites and wood/plywood frames/trusses; a variety fiber reinforced dielectric matrix substrates; thermal and/or sound insulation and vibration suppression materials.
(b) coarse basalt fibers from 20 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm in diameter with flexible/ductile properties suitable for Three-Dimension Fiber Reinforced Composite/Concrete (3-D RFC); ocean going reinforced concrete oil well drilling platforms, naval construction concrete, boat and car composite frames, composite deck bridges, hybrid concrete structures, roadside guardrail beam systems, highway concrete pavements and many other engineered reinforced concrete/composite structures.